A is for Abandon

A



Writing with Abandon

Of all the words that begin with “a,” this one attracts me the most. Abandon, in writing, implies a writer passionately lost in the process. When we achieve abandon in our writing, we lose track of time and place, and our words form in a creative alchemy of soul and substance. But to write with abandon, you must be in the right place, physically and psychologically. You need to feel safe and supported so that you may explore your dreams. Where you are accepted for what you are, and what you are not. Where you might accept the differences of others, and learn from them. This should be a place to absorb ideas, and accompany others as you advance along your writing path. Even when you are feeling solitary.  A place that allows you the freedom to go your own way. A place to make new friends, accomplish the unimaginable, achieve the unexpected, and acquire new skills. A place to find adventure—or amnesty.  

A place to anchor your soul to creativity, and then let it soar.

If you are looking for these things, you might find them here:

www.writersvillage.com

Writers' Village is an amazing and affordable resource: an online writing community that offers writing groups, classes, and certificates in fiction and nonfiction. Looking for a new writing community? Stop by the village some time. 

Full disclosure: I’m a Writers' Village member, volunteer adviser for MFA-certificate track students, and moderator/facilitator for MFA classes. 

Comments

  1. abetterjulieApril 3, 2016 at 3:27 PM

    Thanks for the website recommendation. I hadn't heard of that one before, and in a quick perusal, it looks interesting! @abetterjulie from www.persephoneknits.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sati ChockApril 3, 2016 at 11:03 PM

      Hi Julie,

      It is kind of an internet sleeper secret. I've belonged twice--back in the early 2000's, and now. In the past 15 years it has morphed from a bunch of students doing their own thing in separate study groups to offering certificate programs, which I highly recommend. The certificate programs do not cost more than the regular yearly fee, and it seems to be where many of the motivated people are hanging out (there are also specialized study groups that others join). Anyway, it is worth checking out. There is no better value online for studying/meeting like-minded writers to write with. Thanks for stopping by!

      P.S. I need to check out your blog--sadly, I'm gluten free too!!! :-)

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

N is for Name

Image
NA M ES               “Names have power.”                       -Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief              What's in a name? Plenty. The name you give your character gives the reader an instant impression, even if they don't know what the name really means. For example, w hat do you think of when you hear the following names:  Destiny Colt Barack Ruby Hester Sierra Khan Jesus Barbara Magda Aloha Martha Kofi Prudence Lucifer Bilbo Miranda Filippo Jessie Duncan Anjali Peewee Ishmael Ludwig Ngai Dae won Amber Hercules Scarlett Ashley Midori Gabriel Xerxes Ralph Heathcliff Veruca Hannibal Roshanna Ramona Svengali  Hans Isabella Lolita Jeeves Pip Ebenezer  Rudolph Gump Scout Winnie Grendel Tarzan Scheherazade I bet each of them gave you an immediate impression, even if you can't fully articulate what that impression is.  Well, your reader will have one, too. So when you choose a name for your c
Read more

H is for Horror

Image
H O RR O R “We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones.”  ―  Stephen King Writing can be a scary business. Whether alone or with others, it requires a lot of risk on our part. We bare our souls, share our secrets with the world. Or we put them in a story and call it fiction. Yeah, that's it. I'm kidding, sort of. But today I want to talk about writing scary stories, not living them.  Writing horror So you love horror. Great--so do lots of people, and there are many potential markets. Paying markets, even. Well, not paying much. But still. Did I say paying?  We'll get to that in a bit.  What's the best way to start writing horror stories?  Ask yourself this: What makes you anxious? What scares you the most?  What is the most terrifying situation you can imagine? Your worst nightmare? What grosses you out? Start there. Avoid  cliché s . But if you have a new take on that  cliché , go for it. There is always room for so
Read more

Yearn

Image
We yearn the most for what we have lost, for what we cannot have, for what can never be. But there can be silver linings to our yearnings. We might discover something we love or want even more than what we originally desired.  And, then, this: out of yearning, great stories are born.  "I love those who yearn for the impossible."  -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe What do you yearn for?  What story can you tell about it? "Art comes from the place where you dream."  -Robert Olen Butler interview with Robert Olen Butler Writing about yearning in fiction Robert Olen Butler & short fiction Longing writing prompt From fear to yearning writer's prompt An ancestral yearning: why writers love the ocean Yearning for transcendence Books about yearning Yearning and writing inspiration Harness the yearning "If you don't die of thirst, there are blessings in the desert. You can be pulled into limitlessness, which we all yearn for, or
Read more